Every number rocked!
LALITHAA KRISHNAN
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The musical tribute to Kishore Kumar kept the audience applauding throughout.
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Photo: R. Shivaji Rao
Musical tribute: Kishore Kumar’s sons Amit (left) and Sumit performing at Ek Hi Awaaz.
If the measure of a show’s success lies in the hands of the audience, then J.S. Entertainment, the organisers of ‘Ek Hi Awaaz’ (a musical tribute to Kishore Kumar featuring his sons Amit and Sumit Kumar Ganguly) had a sure winner on their hands, as the listeners applauded repeatedly at every point of the evening’s programme.
Add to that the palpable excitement of the bubbly teen in the next seat who kept exclaiming, even as she grooved to the songs, “How can people remain still in their seats when every number simply rocks!” — and you had a statement that settled the issue once and for all.
For starters, the show began very nearly on time — that in itself was a pleasant surprise. All roads led to Kamaraj Hall for a wide cross-section of Kishore fans, not only from Chennai but from other cities including Bangalore, Mysore and Thrivananthapuram, their enthusiasm and anticipation reaching across generations.
A conviction that things were going the right way pervaded the air — right from the walk down memory lane prompted by the thoughtfully assembled display of Kishoreda’s photographs in the lobby, to the introduction by the dynamic head of J.S. Entertainment, J.S. Shekar (who rendered two opening numbers ‘Jab Bhi Koi Kangna Bole’ and ‘Hawaon Pe Likh Do’ with verve), to Amit’s breaking the ice with uninhibited take offs on different personalities including his uncle Ashok Kumar (Dada Moni), to Leena Chandavarkar Ganguly’s smiling, benevolent presence on stage, to Sumit’s confident rendition of hits such as ‘Dekha Na Hai Re Soccha’, to the ‘music for a cause’ orientation, in this case, the handing over of a cheque to the NEED Trust in order to facilitate its endeavour to educate the general public about cancer awareness and prevention. This objective was inspired by Dr. V. Shantha, Chairperson of the Adyar Cancer Institute.
It is never easy to live in the shadow of an icon, and for sons Amit and Sumit, the going must have been tough. But what came across strongly was the affection that holds the family together and their eagerness to share cherished memories of a golden past even while adapting to an ever-changing present. Sumit is an accomplished pianist and vocalist, who composes jingles, his recent song for a new film, under the baton of Vishal-Shekhar, is slated to be a chartbuster.
With a bio-pic about the legendary singer in the making and a CD release of songs composed by their father on the cards, it is evident the sons are contributing their mite towards keeping the legacy alive.
Taking centre stage
Amit Kumar took centre stage with reminiscences of his first visit to Chennai during the filming of ‘Padosan.’
Setting the ball rolling with evergreen hits such as ‘Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si’, Amit’s communication of the 100-watt energy of ‘Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara’ was preceded by Kishore’s signature yodelling. ‘Koi Humdum Na Raha’ and ‘Mere Saamnewali’ won nods of approval from nostalgia buffs. Leena sang a few lines of ‘Yeh Jeevan Hai.’
The orchestra, under the able guidance of V. Chandran, was in a class of its own. Moving seamlessly from accurate background scores to instant responses, complementing Amit’s impromptu variations, they rose to the occasion, with Amit.
The orchestra members are David and Manuel (keyboard), Patrick (accordion), Balu (tabla), Chandru (dholak), Nagaratnam (timings), Joseph (drums), Dhanish (pads), Shanmugham (triple congo), Koti (bongo), Gerard (bass guitar), Sundaresan (rhythm, lead guitar), Kumar (saxophone), Jaigopi (trumpet) and Satish (flute).
Jaya Rajgopal, Usha Raj and Akhila lent melodious vocal support, while V. Chandran’s number and contest winner, Ramanathan’s rendition garnered appreciation, the show as emceed skilfully by Bhuvana.
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